> One year on from the death of much-loved author and blogger Taylor Siluwé, his partner Trel has made this heart-rending statement: "Today [19th June] marks the one year anniversary of my love's death. People close to me know that I don't offer up information about myself but those who aren't close to me ask 'Are you okay? How are you?' 'Are you depressed?' Of course I'm not okay. The questions are appreciated but not necessary. No one ever gets over death, they just deal with it. And I like many others are dealing. The man I should be married to right now died, he's gone, the cancer won and ended our future. Taylor Siluwé fought as hard as he could but in the end we watched him take his last breath. I'm happy that he's no longer in the pain he was in, I'm happy that he's at peace, I'm happy that so many people loved the person that he was and that he was able to touch/reach so many people in so many places. I miss him... It hurts thinking about him. It's not fair that he's gone but for whatever reason he is, so... I'll continue cry, I'll not sleep, I'll be my usual emo self but eventually the tears, the hurt, the pain will fade and only my happy memories of him will be left with me... He wouldn't want anyone crying in his memory he'd expect a party, so celebrate the person he was and keep his legacy alive."

|||||COSTA RICA: Thousands of gay Costa Ricans have marched against the new Human Rights Commission president who actively opposes gay equality.

AFRICA NEWS

|||||UGANDA: Government in stunning u-turn on gay hate witch-hunt; statement reads, "No government official is supposed to harass any section of the community and everybody in Uganda enjoys the freedom to lawfully assemble and associate freely with others..."

...Yet the Minister for Ethics and Integrity, Simon Lokodo (left), has banned 38 pro-gay groups which he claims promote homosexuality.

|||||THAILAND: Wednesday was World Refugee Day. Here, Burmese monks "play a game of Sepak Takraw (kick volleyball) at the Thirisaridar monastery inside the Mae La refugee camp on June 7 in Tak province, Thailand."

< Review: Bashment. "[Rikki] Beadle-Blair's approach has always been to overplay reality in order to really ram home the issues he's focusing on... In bringing engrossing and challenging issues to an audience, Beadle-Blair should rightfully be commended for a superior effort in pushing the boundaries of didactic cinema."

|||||10 retired film stars who deserve a comeback. The utterly brilliant Gene Wilder, below, was last seen on screen in 1991. (This is a fascinating article - I'd no idea Doris Day and Shirley Temple were still alive, for example...)

< Madonna's been making a new "pop video", and took grandsonboyfriend Brahim Zaibat along for the ride.

THE SEX BIZ

|||||Erik Rhodes: An early death but perhaps not a surprise. "As the Web replaced video stores as the delivery mechanism for adult content, Mr. Rhodes found his salary shrinking, even while his celebrity rose. And there were other problems. 'People faulted him for doing steroids, which was the thing that allowed him to be the ideal they wanted,' said Samuel Colt, an actor who appeared with Mr. Rhodes on-screen and was a friend for the last several years of his life. 'And people were always trying to push drugs onto him.' Things went from bad to worse. Mr. Rhodes got into fights with boyfriends, and the police would be called. Famous friends like [Marc] Jacobs... fell away. Mr. Rhodes went from using steroids to dealing them. And then, a few years ago, he tested positive for HIV. According to Mr. Colt, Mr. Rhodes found this out when he went to shoot a scene for Randy Blue, a company that requires testing. 'They said, 'Your test results came back, and you're HIV positive,' ' Mr. Colt said. Nevertheless, Randy Blue still managed to get Mr. Rhodes to film a solo scene that day."

"I would also like to take this opportunity to squash the persistent rumours about mysterious 'disappearances' and emphasize that rural and urban areas are now enjoying a life of harmony and peace. I'm sure you're glad to hear this. And I'm happy you're glad."